Development of Online Drug-Drug Interaction Screener for COVID-19 Trial

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center have developed an online drug-drug interaction (DDI) screener to assess potential interactions during the Strive ensitrelvir trial for COVID-19. The screener was implemented to ensure safe conduct of the clinical trial, which involved 334 participants across 150 sites in 13 countries.

Key Takeaways:

  • The DDI screener was launched in December 2022 with 615 medications and expanded to 1182 through 6 updates by version 7.
  • The most searched medication classes were antihypertensive, antibiotics, corticosteroids, and anticoagulants.
  • Sites found the DDI screener most helpful during screening/enrollment and valued the washout guidance.
  • The DDI screener was able to revise prohibited medications to conditionally permit enrollment after dosage adjustments in 11 cases.
  • The tool's usefulness was assessed through a survey conducted after 18 months of use.

Statistics:

  • 615 medications were initially included in the DDI screener (Version 1, December 2022).
  • The number of medications in the screener expanded to 1182 through 6 updates to version 7.
  • 117192 screener searches were completed by May 2024.
  • 334 participants were enrolled across 150 sites in 13 countries.
  • The DDI screener was implemented for the Strive ensitrelvir trial, which evaluated ensitrelvir's efficacy and safety in hospitalized adults with COVID-19.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Researchers at University of Nebraska Medical Center Have Reported New Data on COVID-19 (Implementation of an Online Drug-drug Interaction Screener for the Strive Ensitrelvir Trial for Covid-19). Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA. July 27, 2025; p 180.
  • Implementation of an Online Drug-drug Interaction Screener for the Strive Ensitrelvir Trial for Covid-19. Open Forum Infectious Diseases, 2025;12(7).